Recommendations for social skills class/training for 8-year old

[Anonymous]

My DS keeps getting in trouble at school because he's lacking social skills with peers and adults - the school counselor thinks he's not picking up on social cues well. One more time getting in trouble and I suspect he'll be suspended from school. Clearly what we're doing at home is not working and we need help. Can anyone recommend a class, psychologist, or a group that can help? I'm beyond frustrated at this point. Thank you so much.

[Anonymous]

Can you give some specific examples?

[dancingsunflowers06]

Bless your heart. Sorry to hear that you are having a hard time figuring out what to do. I haven't been in your shoes, but I did find an article the other day when I was looking into my daughter's issues staying focused in school. Not sure if it pertains to your son's issues but might be helpful. http://bit.ly/1Lqw72p

There's a counseling reference at the bottom if you're interested in asking a professional for guidance. Hang in there!

mommato2lilmonkeys

[Anonymous]

You are us, except I have a daughter. I am bumping your post. I was told to look into camps... but of course they are all filled now, and since we don't have any assessments, we can't get into them anyways,

[Anonymous]

Check out InStep in Falls Church. We have been going since last summer. Some classes are for children only; others have a separate component for parents. I think they may also do individualized therapy, too, although we have not tried that. I've been pleased.

[Anonymous]

Try the floor time center in Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS keeps getting in trouble at school because he's lacking social skills with peers and adults - the school counselor thinks he's not picking up on social cues well. One more time getting in trouble and I suspect he'll be suspended from school. Clearly what we're doing at home is not working and we need help. Can anyone recommend a class, psychologist, or a group that can help? I'm beyond frustrated at this point. Thank you so much.

OP you posted on the older kids forum. I'm going to reiterate. as the mother if an eight year son with ADHD, you need to find a neuropsychologist first. All of this will fall into place with an evaluation. A good neuropsychologist is unlikely to diagnose your son with something he doesn't have. There is no risk and it will keep you from spinning your wheels (and spending your $$) on things that may not be first priority. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS keeps getting in trouble at school because he's lacking social skills with peers and adults - the school counselor thinks he's not picking up on social cues well. One more time getting in trouble and I suspect he'll be suspended from school. Clearly what we're doing at home is not working and we need help. Can anyone recommend a class, psychologist, or a group that can help? I'm beyond frustrated at this point. Thank you so much.

OP you posted on the older kids forum. I'm going to reiterate. as the mother if an eight year son with ADHD, you need to find a neuropsychologist first. All of this will fall into place with an evaluation. A good neuropsychologist is unlikely to diagnose your son with something he doesn't have. There is no risk and it will keep you from spinning your wheels (and spending your $$) on things that may not be first priority. Good luck.

OP here. Thank you to PP for pointing out where my previous post went - I'm new to this forum and apparently I posted it on the wrong forum, then it disappeared and I had no idea where it went. I just assumed it was deleted. I guess it was more appropriate to post there, so I'll go there with this issue then. Thank you everyone so much for your comments!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS keeps getting in trouble at school because he's lacking social skills with peers and adults - the school counselor thinks he's not picking up on social cues well. One more time getting in trouble and I suspect he'll be suspended from school. Clearly what we're doing at home is not working and we need help. Can anyone recommend a class, psychologist, or a group that can help? I'm beyond frustrated at this point. Thank you so much.

You need an evaluation to see why your child is "lacking social skills with peers and adults". Again, your first step should be getting your child evaluated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS keeps getting in trouble at school because he's lacking social skills with peers and adults - the school counselor thinks he's not picking up on social cues well. One more time getting in trouble and I suspect he'll be suspended from school. Clearly what we're doing at home is not working and we need help. Can anyone recommend a class, psychologist, or a group that can help? I'm beyond frustrated at this point. Thank you so much.

OP you posted on the older kids forum. I'm going to reiterate. as the mother if an eight year son with ADHD, you need to find a neuropsychologist first. All of this will fall into place with an evaluation. A good neuropsychologist is unlikely to diagnose your son with something he doesn't have. There is no risk and it will keep you from spinning your wheels (and spending your $$) on things that may not be first priority. Good luck.

OP here. Thank you to PP for pointing out where my previous post went - I'm new to this forum and apparently I posted it on the wrong forum, then it disappeared and I had no idea where it went. I just assumed it was deleted. I guess it was more appropriate to post there, so I'll go there with this issue then. Thank you everyone so much for your comments!

OP- PP the special needs forum is the right spot to post. You just may need to monitor both posts. You will get more experienced responders here- many of our kids have been through social therapy and have had evaluations. My particular situation sounds somewhat similar to yours with my eight year coming up for evaluation in the 2nd grade- social skills issues were the tip off.
As I said earlier, an evaluation is nothing to be concerned about. You may discover that your son is just very immature. If however, there is a global issue, you want to know this now, prior to 3rd grade. The expectations are beginning a steep incline, and if your son needs help, it's time. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS keeps getting in trouble at school because he's lacking social skills with peers and adults - the school counselor thinks he's not picking up on social cues well. One more time getting in trouble and I suspect he'll be suspended from school. Clearly what we're doing at home is not working and we need help. Can anyone recommend a class, psychologist, or a group that can help? I'm beyond frustrated at this point. Thank you so much.

OP you posted on the older kids forum. I'm going to reiterate. as the mother if an eight year son with ADHD, you need to find a neuropsychologist first. All of this will fall into place with an evaluation. A good neuropsychologist is unlikely to diagnose your son with something he doesn't have. There is no risk and it will keep you from spinning your wheels (and spending your $$) on things that may not be first priority. Good luck.

OP here. Thank you to PP for pointing out where my previous post went - I'm new to this forum and apparently I posted it on the wrong forum, then it disappeared and I had no idea where it went. I just assumed it was deleted. I guess it was more appropriate to post there, so I'll go there with this issue then. Thank you everyone so much for your comments!

OP- PP the special needs forum is the right spot to post. You just may need to monitor both posts. You will get more experienced responders here- many of our kids have been through social therapy and have had evaluations. My particular situation sounds somewhat similar to yours with my eight year coming up for evaluation in the 2nd grade- social skills issues were the tip off.

As I said earlier, an evaluation is nothing to be concerned about. You may discover that your son is just very immature. If however, there is a global issue, you want to know this now, prior to 3rd grade. The expectations are beginning a steep incline, and if your son needs help, it's time. Good luck.

OP here - thank you, PP. Yes, honestly DS starting 3rd Grade is really concerning me, especially at a school that seems to have him labeled a troublemaker. I'm calling InStep today as suggested by another PP. Do you have a recommendation for where I can take him for an evaluation?

[Anonymous]

Stixrud in Silver Spring, David Black (CAAT), and Kennedy Krieger all seem to have advocates on this forum. The waiting lists are often long, and a good evaluation can be expensive (think $4-$5k) and not necessarily covered by insurance. But it was the best money we ever spent. An evaluation may unlock all kinds of free services from the school system that otherwise you'll be paying for privately. When we were in public school DS had several hours a week of pull-out social skills training and OT. And regardless, knowing what you are dealing with will be a world of help.